lOO MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



cliffs and fell against our little house with a shriek, the con- 

 trast between inside and outside was forced upon us. 



The next day we had a late breakfast, and then two of the 

 boys went out to lay off a course for the athletic games 

 which they had been discussing for some time. The weather 

 was so bad that I did not go out to witness them, but let 

 Matt go, and prepared our New- Year's dinner alone. This 

 time Mr. Peary decided that he would give the natives the 

 materials for their own New- Year's dinner and let them prepare 

 it themselves. They were given eider-ducks, reindeer legs, 

 coffee, and biscuit. We have quite a batch of new Eskimos, 

 among them two men from Cape York, who are almost as 

 tall as Mr. Peary, and whom we call the "giants." They 

 have quite a number of narwhal tusks to trade, and are 

 determined to have a rifle for them, but I hardly think they 

 will sret it. 



